Amid Trump administration’s anti-immigration push, Charlotte activists organize
Growing fears around Immigration and Customs Enforcement have led Charlotte community members and organizers to act, some shared during an online panel hosted by WFAE Thursday.
Two groups organized a protest against deportation on Sunday in First Ward Park, followed by a march through uptown that drew over 250 people.
Through a bevy of executive orders, President Donald Trump has reshaped the United States’ immigration policy over the last two weeks — challenging birthright citizenship, halting refugees from coming to the country and limiting temporary protected status. He has also launched an effort to find and remove millions of undocumented people across the country.
That includes about 315,000 people in North Carolina and 110,000 in the Charlotte metropolitan area that extends to South Carolina.
Since Trump won on Nov. 5, many in Charlotte have felt panic “for not only their future but that of their children as well,” Stefanía Arteaga, a co-director of Carolina Migrant Network, said during WFAE’s panel.
“A lot of the calls that we’re receiving are from people who want to figure out what legal avenues there are for them, or what power of attorneys they can sign to make sure their children and homes are safe,” she said.
Local concerns
A recent state bill that requires sheriffs to cooperate with ICE came up during Thursday’s discussion.
House Bill 10 came after Democratic sheriffs elected across the state in 2018 vowed to cut back or end cooperation with ICE when the agency asked them to hold undocumented people. Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden, one sheriff who’s previously feuded with ICE, has said that he is following the new law under House Bill 10.
The federal Department of Justice has said it will investigate sheriffs who do not enforce Trump’s immigration policies. Those sheriffs could be prosecuted, according to a DOJ memorandum.
“If law enforcement continues to participate, either voluntarily or through House Bill 10, we’re going to see more people distrust local government,” Arteaga said.
On the national level, one executive order signed by Trump has suspended the United States Refugee Admissions Program.
“Being the descendant of a refugee family, I’m just lost for words,” said Alex Bui, the president of the Vietnamese Association of Charlotte. “I mean, I think that’s what makes America great. I was given the opportunity 40 years ago to come over here, start a new life, to call this great country my country.”
But he’s seen some people with applications in process for more than a year be told that they are no longer valid, he said.
Resources
There is a “collective power” in Charlotte, Arteaga said. Organizers have been reminding people about the effect they can have at the local level, she said.
Local groups have hosted “know your rights” workshops since Trump returned to office. One such event was hosted by Enlace Charlotte and Action NC on Thursday.
Carolina Migrant Network has been running a telephone line at 704-740-7737 for people to report raids and arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Spanish newspaper La Noticia recently reported. That initiative started, in part, to combat misinformation being spread.
Sunday protest march in uptown
More than 250 people marched through uptown on Sunday afternoon in protest of the Trump administration’s immigration policies after a rally in First Ward Park. Charlotte United for Palestine and the Party for Socialism and Liberation coordinated the event.
Protester Vanessa Guerra told Charlotte Observer photojournalist Khadejeh Nikouyeh during the march that many of her family and friends couldn’t attend because they’re undocumented.
“My parents struggled to get here and now it’s my turn to fight for them,” she said.
Jena Awad, president of Charlotte United for Palestine, said “immigrants are not a threat. The real threat is a system that prioritizes profit over people.
“Our children deserve to grow up without fear. Our communities deserve to thrive.”
Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
Observer photojournalist Khadejeh Nikouyeh and public safety editor Patrick Wilson contributed.